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Last update:

$Date: 2014/07/21 08:09:55 $

History

1884

artificial entrance into the cave built.

Description

The Island Biševo is made up of limestone, which is riddled with caves.
26 sea caves are known along the coast of the island, which may all be visited
by boat.
But the most well known cave is Modra Špilja, the Blue Grotto.
It is called Skuja na Zanje in the local dialect.

This blue grotto has a natural entrance below the sea level.
The only way to enter the cave was originally by diving.
But more than a century ago an artificial tunnel was built to allow visitors to
enter the cave by boat.
But the size of this tunnel is restricted, six-person flat boats are the largest
vessels able to fit through the entrance.
Visitors have to duck or lie down in the boat because of the low ceiling.
The cave is dark except for the sunlight shining through the natural entrance, a
deep blue glow coming from below.
A swim in the blue water seems to be an optional part of the cave visit.

The location of the cave and the natural entrance make the time between 11 and
12 ideal for a visit.
This is the time when the light inside the cave is best.
The earlier or later during the day, the less light inside the cave.
Early in the morning, and after the sun hits the sea in front of the cave, a
visit is absolutely pointless.

The boats typically also visit a second cave, Zelena Spilja (Green Cave).
This cave is larger, the entrance is larger and does not require to lie down, and
there is a natural entrance high above which allows a ray of sunlight to enter
the cave.
A shaft of light dances around like a bouncing ball, turning the water greenish
gold.

Another cave on Biševo is Medvidina Špilja (Medvidina Cave) at
the southern coast.
From the big natural entrance at the beach, a 760m long dry passage leads
into the cliff.
It was once the habitat of the Mediterranean monk seal, a marine mammal
which is now almost extinct.